Into the Wild
by The Optimistic Scholar
Summary: No. 4 in Triple Threat-How many girls do you know who have a pilot's license before a driver's license? Well Gracie Anne Possible feels the need...the need for Speed! But can Shego keep her daughter from cashing checks her body can't cash? (Yes, there will be Top Gun references for fans of that movie :-) )
1. Chapter 1

"We're reading all systems green. Super Hornet 22, you are cleared for takeoff."

_Gonna be an A+ run,_ the pilot thought to herself. _No mistakes; just visualize and execute. Momma, I'm so gonna make you proud_.

After igniting the thrusters, the FA-18 Super Hornet sped down the runway, 350 mph, 400 mph, and with the precision worthy of Boeing, the fighter jet lifted off and into the air. Getting a feel for being in the air, the pilot took the jet through a few basic maneuvers and then brought the fighter up to cruising altitude. Channeling her mother, the pilot elected to show off a little, putting the Super Hornet through a small roll enroot to the target. A brief admonishment came over the radio and the pilot rolled her eyes and leveled out. Bunch of squares never let her have any fun. Checking her GPS, she noted that she was approximately two minutes out from the target area.

"ETA to target is two minutes," the pilot called. "Arming payload now." Bringing her radar targeting system online, three beeps sounded, signifying that the fighter had a good lock on the building. "22 has sweet lock. Request permission to fire."

"Permission granted 22," the radio tech replied. "You are clear to fire."

The pilot fingered the trigger and released the homing bomb. This was going to be one heck of an explosion so she threw the jet into a rise and banked away from the target area. The bomb continued on the assigned trajectory and the pilot counted down the seconds until detonation. The cockpit shook slightly, catching the tail end of the shockwave.

"Super Hornet 22, we are tracking three MiG-29s headed for your location"

Crap! FA-18s had no chance of outrunning MiG-29s so she'd have to turn and fight. She threw the fighter into a hard left bank. Her radar had spotted the three bogies and she could just make eye contact. Just another minute…and she had radar lock! She triggered her AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and quickly fired. A siren sounded, signifying that one of the other fighters had a lock on her. She threw her fighter into evasive maneuvers and released the countermeasures. Flares spewed forth underneath, throwing off the heat seeking capabilities of the missile and sending it clear into the ground. The pilot brought the fighter back around. She thought she'd change it up and use M61 Vulcan gun mounted on the front. She'd almost gotten on the tail of one of the fighters and clamped down on the trigger. A flurry of .787 inch shells spewed out and hammered into the hull of the enemy fighter. She'd scored a few hits but nothing decisive. The MiG pilot juked around, trying to throw off his pursuer, but she wasn't having ANY of it. Holding off as long as she could, she fired the nose gun once more, striking the fuel tank and making the MiG ignite in a massive fireball.

_One more; just leaves one more_.

Without warning the cockpit began shaking and damage alarms began sounding. The final MiG was on her tail, hammering the fighter with bullets. Weaving and darting, the Super Hornet sped all over the sky. She was able to get out of the immediate line of fire but the MiG was still tight on her and she couldn't shake him. If this kept up, the MiG would blow her out of the sky. What would she do? What would she do? Her fighter couldn't take much more damage and she was running out of fuel. She'd probably never hear the end of it but she had a gutsy idea. Waiting until the fighter was close enough to her six o'clock, the pilot slammed down on her brakes, forcing the enemy fighter to shoot clear over her. Throwing her speed back up, the radar locked. The pilot switched to her longer range AMRAAM missiles and fired. The missile closed the distance, seemingly inch by inch, and the MiG ignited in a massive fireball.

The screens suddenly went blank, the words "SIMULATION COMPLETE" scrolling across the screen.

The cockpit hatch buzzed open and an older woman in a Global Justice flight suit ducked inside. The woman was a pitch black brunette and had a unique pale almost green skin tone. The pilot lifted her helmet and looked up at the older woman expectantly.

"Gracie Possible, where did you learn that?"

Gracie smiled at the compliment, glad that she didn't disappoint her mother. "Billy's Dad showed us this awesome movie called _Top Gun_. I've been working on the move on the simulator at home."

"Not even close," George, Gracie's naked mole rat squeaked.

Gracie Possible, 14 year old teenager and world saver in training, shucked off the safety harness and climbed out of the flight simulator, shaking free her auburn mane of hair that had been encased in her helmet. Global Justice usually began training of potential junior agents at Gracie's age. Shego was an expert pilot with nearly every form of aircraft and had encouraged Gracie to gain proficiency as well. And at 14, Gracie Anne Possible was very much living up to the Possible family name. Upon beginning training, Gracie passed her prop engine qualifications in two months, the only junior agent ever to do so. She'd finished the classroom work for jet fighters almost two weeks ago and was over the moon to be in a simulator learning actual combat maneuvers.

"Well the move you made was clever…but if you'd been just a few inches off he would've plowed right into you," Shego gave her impulsive teenage daughter a stern look, leading her over to the locker room so they could get changed. "Fancy flying is all well and good in a simulator but it's a whole different animal in a real plane. 'Girl, you're writing checks your body can't cash!' Besides, your Mom and I want you to live long enough to give us some grandkids."

"Well, Billy and I WERE talking about…"

"Grace Anne Possible, so help me, if that boy touches you I will burn off his manhood, strap a plasma enhanced chastity belt on YOU, and lock you in a tower!"

Gracie laughed as her Momma shoved her into the locker room. "Kidding Momma; I was only kidding." She turned and gave her mother an apologetic look. "I promised you and Mom and I meant it. I don't want to have kids for a long, LONG time."

"Good; keep it that way!" Shego growled, shedding her own flight suit and workout cloths. She took a look at herself in the mirror she kept in the locker she maintained at the local GJ branch. Though nearing 40 years old, Shego Possible was pleased with how she'd been able to maintain her fit and curvy body over the years, as had her Kimmie after giving birth to three kids. Thinking of her wife made a shiver go down her spine. 14 years; they'd been married for FOURTEEN years and Kimberly Anne Possible still made Shego's knees feel like jelly. She stowed her work clothing inside and dressed in the floral print dress she'd worn to the facility. Gracie's locker was right next to Shego's and she was quickly dressed in jeans and a Middleton Mad Dogs T-shirt.

The pair entered the GJ parking bay and stopped at Shego's 2012 Ford Mustang convertible. Gracie tossed her book bag into the back and hopped over the door into the passenger seat. Shego dropped her duffel in the back, plopped down into the driver's seat and fired up the engine. It was a beautiful May afternoon and the women elected to leave the top down, letting the wind flow through their flowing locks. Shego threw the car into drive and pulled out of the structure, a warehouse to the outside world.

"Muffin, I know you were trying to be funny…but please don't ever joke about things like that," Shego sighed, turning onto the main drag through town. "You and your sisters are the greatest things that ever happened to your Mom and me but…"

"I know Momma. You two have told me this story a million times."

"Young lady, don't just dismiss this," Shego took on a stern tone.

"Momma, I stood in front of the entire church and promised you and Mom that I would wait."

"Good," Shego held her daughter's hand. "Because we don't want you to have to go through what your Mom went through."

"You mean getting pregnant and almost getting killed by a nutbag cheerleader because Mom gave her enough verbal rope to hang herself with? Yeah, I'd like to avoid that happening to me too."

Shego rolled her eyes. Of all the traits Gracie could've inherited from the elder, why did it have to be Shego's penchant for sarcasm? "Mmm, Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you. Need that, you do not!"

Gracie chuckled; her Momma was such a geek, especially when it came to _Star Wars_.

The pair traded impersonations for the remainder of the trip home and Gracie was just finishing up her Jar-Jar Binks impression when they came to a stop in front of the Palace. Kim was out on the porch working on her latest novel, enjoying the weather, and Shego's younger twin daughters were just off the porch, working through their Crane-style exercises under Kim's eye. As with their older sister, Zoë and Emily Possible seemed to have a natural affinity for the Five Animals Kung-Fu style. And like their older sister, it was a perfect outlet for their sky high levels of energy.

"Hey you two," Kim smiled, looking up from her notepad. "How'd the simulation go?"

"Well Red-5 here pulled it off but took a big chance doing it," Shego mussed up her older daughter's hair as she came around the car. Gracie shook her off and ran up to the porch to kiss her Mom.

"Hey, no risk, no reward," Kim replied, removing her reading glasses and returning her daughter's kiss. "Way to go sweetie. Shego, how many teenagers do you know who get their pilot's license before they get a driver's license?"

Gracie took a seat next to Kim and proceeded to give her a play by play of her simulator run. Part of her felt a stab of pride at her daughter's accomplishment but Kim reiterated her wife's concern that Gracie be more careful when not in the simulator. All the same, Kim was immensely proud that her daughter was coming along so well. At the rate they were going, the second generation of Team Possible would be a force unlike any other. Villains everywhere would tremble before their massive power.

Gracie ran inside to call her friend Mary and Shego took the vacated seat, watching her younger daughters train. "Sometimes I worry about her. She wants to learn so much so fast that sometimes I'm afraid she isn't seeing the danger. She's much too young to be attempting maneuvers like that."

"What are you saying?" Kim asked, putting down her notepad. "You think it was a mistake to start her flight training?"

Did she? It WAS Shego's idea to have her daughter become a pilot like her but…was she beginning to regret it? Being a proficient flyer had helped Shego escape from numerous scrapes by commandeering an aircraft, both as a villain and a hero, and she wanted Gracie to be able to have that way out. But what Kim had said, about Gracie having her pilot's license before her driver's license, was sticking with the older woman. Oh damn it; Shego had no idea what she was thinking.

"I just hope she's not making a habit out of flying like that. I know its cliché and something out of _Top Gun_ but I don't want her writing checks her body can't cash."

"Well Gracie's smart," Kim patted her wife on the shoulder. "She's young and eager but she knows her limits. You're the expert pilot though. If you think it would be safer to finish this training when she's a little older, I'll stand by you."

Shego mulled those thoughts over for a few minutes. Their daughter WAS very responsible for her age. As long as Gracie didn't make a habit out of reckless flying, there wouldn't be any harm in Gracie continuing. "No, no I don't think we need to stop. I guess she just reminds me a lot of myself at that age."

"Oh? You mean intelligent," Kim leaned over and began planting kisses up her wife's arm. "Beautiful, strong, and independent?"

"Hey, you didn't know me then," Shego leaned over kissed her wife's luscious red lips.

"Doesn't matter! Gracie is taking after YOU, the most wonderful person I've ever known, and that could NEVER be a bad thing."

"Oh Princess," Shego sighed and planted another kiss. "Have I told you lately how lucky I am that you married me?"

"Yes…but I still love to hear it. Tell me again."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Gracie and Shego, once again clad in their GJ issue flight suits, marched out onto the GJ training airfield outside of Middleton. There was no training set for today but the training field held dozens of aircraft, some state of the art and others long since retired. Gracie had loved _Top Gun_ so much that she insisted that they rent it the previous night. Her daughter practically drooled over the F-14 Tomcats they used in the movie. Shego liked to get a bit of flying time in every week and after church she offered Gracie the chance to go along, knowing that GJ had three old F-14 Tomcats they were working on refurbishing. Gracie would be training in one after her simulator training was complete and Shego didn't see the harm in giving her daughter a little sneak preview.

Gracie spotted the Tomcat and instantly ran up to it, fawning over it like you would a puppy. She ran her hands along the sleek fuselage like she was petting it.

"Oh MAN," Gracie crooned. "F-14 Tomcat, introduced into the US Military September 1974. Standard armaments include M61 20mm Vulcan Gatling gun mounted on the nose, two AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range missiles, four AIM-54 Phoenix long-range missiles, and two AIM-7 Sparrow mid-range missiles."

"And I thought 14 year olds only knew that much about boy bands and fashion," Shego laughed at her daughter.

"Thrusters capable of achieving speeds in excess of Mach 2," Gracie continued to marvel. "Service ceiling of 50,000 ft. Momma, do we get to take THIS up?" In response, Shego pointed to the helmet perched on the edge of the open cockpit. Gracie let out a squeal of glee and clambered up the ladder. "Come on Momma. I feel the NEED!"

"The need for SPEED!" Shego chuckled as she climbed up the ladder into the pilot's seat. She was never going to hear the end of that fracking movie! She pulled on her own helmet and got comfortable in the pilot seat. "Okay Muffin, talk me through the start-up sequence. First, I close the cockpit." There was a buzzing as the hatch lowered and a whoosh of air as the cockpit was pressurized. "What next?"

"Engage left and right generator buses," Gracie replied proudly.

Shego worked through the keystrokes and switches. "We have power. Keep going"

"Next is the onboard environmental control systems," Gracie continued. "Switch them to on."

Another series of keystrokes and flipped switches and Shego encouraged her daughter to continue. Gracie walked her mother through the rest of the checklist, going through the cockpit blowers to keep the windows clear, lights, engine start-up, stability augmentation, fuel, and computer systems. By procedure's end, the fighter was purring like a kitten.

"And in powering up the HSD young lady, what else have I powered up?" Shego asked.

"Avionics are fully functional," Gracie replied smartly. "Now we just need to ask for clearance."

"Roger that," Shego smiled and broadcasted a call to the tower. "Tower, this is Sierra Papa 17 requesting clearance for take-off."

"Sierra Papa 17, permission granted. You are clear to taxi to the runway."

Shego guided the fighter out of its hangar and onto the tarmac. A mile of runway lay in front of her and one of the best jet fighters known to man lay around her.

"Sierra Papa 17, the skies are yours; happy flying."

"Punch it Chewie!" Gracie called from the back.

Shego engaged the thrusters and the fighter burst forward. 100 mph, 200 mph, 300mph. Shego pulled up on the stick and the fighter crept up off the ground. Once she cleared the runway, Shego brought the Tomcat into a climb. Gracie, meanwhile, was in the navigator's seat, cheering her head off like she was on a rollercoaster. She was every bit the adrenaline junky that her mothers were. Shego was putting the Tomcat through maneuvers that would make the average person pass out and her daughter only shouted to go faster.

"Hey Gracie, take a look," Shego spun the Tomcat upside down. "Say hello to Lake Ontario."

_Author Notes:_

_I just couldn't help it. Only a Possible, and especially a Possible whose mother was also Shego, really WOULD have her pilot's license before she got her driver's license. Gracie is really becoming one of those awesome girls who can be a girly girl but sure as shooting can run with and surpass the guys. She could tell you everything about the O Boyz and also recite the full armament and specs of every major fighter jet in the last twenty years. And of course, you can't do a story about fighter jets without mentioning "Top Gun"._

_Kim Possible and all associated characters are the copyrighted property of the Disney Corporation and the intellectual property of Bob Schooly and Mark McCorkle. Gracie Anne Possible, George the Naked Mole Rat, and Abigail Normal are the intellectual property of Poetheather1. Top Gun is the copyrighted property of Paramount Pictures and the intellectual property of Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr._


	2. Chapter 2

"This is Canadian Air Command. We have you on radar. Please identify yourself."

Shego flipped the fighter right-side up and opened a transmission. "This is Gamma Juliette Sierra Papa 17 on free flight." As an international organization, Global Justice had round the clock clearance to fly over almost anywhere in the civilized world. About midway over Lake Ontario? Air Command was johnny-on-the-spot today.

"Roger that Sierra Papa 17," The voice crackled over the line. "Welcome to the Province of Ontario. Good luck and safe flying."

"So where we going Momma?" Gracie piped up from the back.

"Oh, I was thinking we'd see what the weather is like over Hudson Bay," She answered. The clock on Shego's HUD indicated that it was fast approaching lunch time. If she remembered correctly Borden Air Base was nearby. The Canadian government had recruited Kim and Shego a few years back to recover a plane stolen from there. The commander, Colonel Tammy Harris, had been overjoyed at the results and had a standing lunch date with the couple whenever they were in the area. The Officers' Mess on base wasn't bad and the reformed thief's stomach gave an audible growl. "You hungry muffin?"

"I could eat."

"Well plot us a course for Borden Air Base," Shego ordered. Gracie had come far enough that Shego trusted her daughter's navigation skills without question. They were maybe three hundred miles out by her guess and Gracie would find them the quickest way there. She could just make out the coastline and was ready to chow down on some poutine. It may take a few months off her life but…oh she just couldn't resist.

Gracie locked the course in and transmitted it up to Momma's computer. This was so totally spankin! Right now she was in over 30 tons of badass and going almost 400 mph with more to come. She couldn't WAIT to get behind one of these herself. And in only another two years, per their agreement, she'd get to go on missions with Mom and Momma. She was going to save the world. And she was going to do it alongside the two toughest world savers that ever lived!

Shego brought the Tomcat in low so the pair could get a good look at the lay of the land. The city of Belleville passed underneath them and Shego sighed in peace as they were treated to the display that awaited them on the other side. It may have a population of only 40 million but this right here was Canada's greatest treasure. The scenic beauty of the nation was unparalleled. There really was something about Ontario in particular that appealed to her. Unknown to her wife, Shego really wanted to plan a second honeymood to Niagra Falls sometime.

Another twenty minutes in the air and Shego was in range of Borden Air Base. "CFB Borden, please come in."

"This is CFB Borden. Please identify yourself."

"This is Gamma Juliette Sierra Papa 17 requesting clearance to land."

"Affirmative Sierra Papa; permission granted. Welcome to Borden Air Base."

The Tomcat was maneuvered into position and the fighter slowly descended onto the tarmac and into the available parking space. Gracie walked Momma through the shutdown sequence, once again passing with flying colors. The hatch buzzed open, a wave of sea air blowing through the cockpit. Boy did that smell good. Ground crew ran up and attached ladders and snapped to attention while the pair disembarked.

"At ease," Shego slid off her helmet and shook out her flowing black locks. "Can you point me to the base commander's office?"

"Yes ma'am," One of the crew answered, a Corporal by the insignia on her shoulder. "I can take you there myself."

Mother and daughter fell in behind the crewmember and marched off. Shego had long since gotten used to the stares she and Kim received, especially when at military bases. Saving the world on several occasions and being able to sling plasma like better than Wyatt Earp could sling a Peacemaker had that effect on people. But surprisingly Gracie was receiving as much attention as her mother. Sure, one might guess that a fourteen year old fighter pilot would be a strange sight. Or it could be simply because she was obviously "with Shego".

As far as bases went, Borden was very impressive. Built during WWI, the base was the historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force as well as one of their premiere training facilities in any branch of the Royal Canadian military. Enroot to the base commander's office, Shego and Gracie were treated to displays of nearly every branch of the armed services working and training diligently. There was a gust of wind as the trio entered the wind tunnel into the base headquarters. A trek to the end of the entrance hall and up a flight of stairs and the pair were deposited outside the base commander's office.

"So how do you know this person Momma?"

"Well a few years back, a top secret plane was stolen from this base. It turned out to be Motor Ed and your Mom and I made short work of him." Shego gave her daughter a play-by-play of the mission. Bless her little heart, Gracie STILL hung on their every word when Kim or Shego told her about missions they had been on. Shego had just about finished the story when the orderly ushered them into the Colonel's office. Shego and Gracie popped to their feet and marched into the office, coming to a stop in front of a stoic looking blonde woman a little older than Shego. The pair snapped to attention, sparking a laugh from the woman behind the desk. THIS woman? Hell, this woman didn't need to salute anybody!

"Shego Possible, while I live and breathe," The woman jumped to her feet and ran to shake the reformed thief's hand. "What a pleasant surprise! And who might this young lady be?"

"Gracie Possible, meet Colonel Tammy L. Harris of the Canadian RAF." Shego ushered her daughter forward to shake the woman's hand. "Tammy, this is my daughter, Gracie Anne Possible."

"It's a pleasure to meet you young lady," Colonel Harris smiled and shook the teenager's hand.

Gracie acknowledged the greeting but seemed to be very much in awe of the Colonel. Even at age 14, she'd met a lot of people and just from looking at her, she could tell that the woman before her was exactly like Mom and Momma. This woman was a force to be reckoned with and didn't take any crap from anybody.

Shego saw her daughter's response and could almost read her daughter's thoughts. Well Tammy was certainly a woman worth admiring. Distinguished military career aside, Tammy Harris was the first woman in the Canadian military to be appointed commander of a military base, and the largest training facility in the nation to boot. Based on Shego's experiences with the woman, she was an extremely qualified woman and the fact this was a first for the Canadian military was only a secondary factor. The woman was just plain great at what she did and that was the mark of a good commander.

"So what brings you to Borden?"

"Well the munchkin and I were on a flight over to the Hudson and thought we'd stop for lunch. Dare I hope that the Officers' mess is serving poutine today?"

Colonel Harris couldn't help but laugh. Good grief, sometimes this American loved Canada's national dish more than most Canadians she'd met. "Oh, I think we can work something out." Colonel Harris answered as she ushered for the women to follow her.

"What exactly IS poutine Momma?"

"Oooooh Gracie; you are in for a treat."

KPKPKPKPKPKP

ALL THE WASTED YEARS! To think Gracie had wasted 14 years without trying this glorious culinary concoction! Colonel Harris had ushered the pair into mess hall and a wide variety of smells coming from the kitchen but Shego guided other others towards a very particular food station. Spread across several trays was bowls of what looked like French fries in some kind of brown sauce and smothered with cheese. Momma snagged a bowl for Gracie and herself as well as a few hotdogs. Gracie toyed with the fries a little hesitantly and throwing caution to the wind, speared a bite and swallowed…and then HEAVEN!

"OH MAN," Gracie gasped around a mouthful of masticated fries. "Momma, this is delicious! I can't believe I've wasted 14 years of my life without trying this delicious concoction!"

Bless her daughter's little heart. Shego couldn't help but laugh at all the, what some people would consider bizarre, things she and her daughter shared. Princess wasn't going to like this. Kimmie had the naco cravings during Gracie's pregnancy and Shego had poutine. "Your Mom's going to start thinking I'm trying to corrupt you. She can't stand the stuff."

The trio had a very enjoyable lunch and passed away the hours with laughs. Colonel Harris inquired all about Gracie and how she was enjoying school. Shego in turn interrogated the woman on her stepdaughters and if they were still doing the look from _Zoolander_. Harris' stepdaughters and her husband were convinced that they could do the look just like Ben Stiller and their attempts earned them no shortage of rolled eyes from Tammy.

"So your mother tells me you're a fully qualified prop pilot," Colonel Harris took a swig of Diet Coke. "What's your favorite plane?"

"Oh no question, the P51 Mustang!" How was that even a question? EVERYONE knew that the Mustang was the best prop job ever created! "Max speed of 437 mph, service ceiling of almost 42,000 feet, armed with six Browning .50 cal machine guns! It's the Cadillac of the skies!"

Wow…did a fourteen year old just recite the specs for a WWII-era fighter as if it were common knowledge? Now here was someone destined to be a pilot! Only a shame she was an American. Tammy Harris would love to be the one to be in charge of this girl's training. "Impressive Miss Possible! I can only agree with you there. Have you ever gotten to fly one?"

"Momma had me qualify in one."

"Fully certified in two months; the only trainee to ever do so!" The pale-skinned woman's voice was dripping with pride at her daughter's accomplishment. "Takes a few too many chances in a jet fighter though; AND is too much of a fan of _Top Gun_."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The F14 Tomcat taxied out onto the runway and the thrusters ignited. "Thanks for your hospitality CFB Borden. See you on the flipside."

"Roger that Sierra Papa 17. A word of caution though; there's a chance of rain over the coast. Shouldn't be anything serious but thought you should know. The skies are yours; fly safe."

A storm warning? Eh, Shego would use her discretion once they actually reached Hudson Bay. If it was bad, she certainly wasn't going to risk anything with Gracie in the seat behind her. "Roger tower thanks for the heads up." The seasoned pilot released the breaks and the fighter began speeding down the runway, Gracie calling out the speed as they went. With a lurch, the fighter lifted skyward into that wild blue yonder.

"Did you hear that Gracie? We may have to cut the trip a little short."

As the fighter delved deeper and deeper into Ontario, the cities and towns grew fewer and fewer. Gracie remembered from social studies that nearly 80% of Canada's population lived in the provinces bordering the United States and even then, in the southern half of the province itself. The land below them was almost entirely wilderness, specked with an Inuit village every now and then. Other than that, Shego and Gracie were smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

True to the forecast, a rainstorm was making landfall when they reached Hudson Bay. The wind seemed to be picking up as well. This…this wasn't what Shego would consider light. Unless she was very much mistaken, this storm seemed to be growing and picking up speed. Both inhabitants in the cockpit were getting shaken up pretty good. Her maternal instincts were telling her that it was wise to beat a hasty retreat.

"Sorry Muffin but I think it's about time we…"

Without warning there was a bright flash of light and the fighter gave a violent shake. What the hell had just happened? Alarms were sounding on every screen. It was as if the world had just gone to pot. Shego clamped onto the stick with a death grip but steering was sluggish at best. Could it…oh GOD was it…a lightning strike! Had to be a million to one shot and of course it would happen now!

"MOMMA WHAT'S GOING ON?" Gracie shouted over the roar going on around them.

The plane…the plane was going down. She had to act fast! In a matter of minutes they'd be over the bay and then…! No, she had to act now!

"GRACIE, LISTEN TO ME VERY CAREFULLY," Shego was going to get her daughter out of this. "WE HAVE TO EJECT! DO YOU SEE THE YELLOW HANDLE BETWEEN YOUR LEGS?"

"I…I SEE IT MOMMA!"

"WHEN I COUNT TO THREE, PULL IT AND BRACE YOURSELF! ONE…TWO…THREE!"

_Author's Notes:  
Gotta love Poutine. French Fries, beef gravy, and cheese. I love going to Canada and am literally the only one in my family who likes the dish. Please don't knock it till you try it. I did my homework on CFB Borden and hope I captured it well. Thus Gracie and Shego begin their quest for survival._


	3. Chapter 3

…CRASH…

...BOOM…

…CRUNCH…

The world around her seemed to be nothing but a massive blur, a whirling vortex of insanity. The safety straps dug into Gracie's torso as the parachute was deployed. As suddenly as it had begun, the spinning stopped and the world turned right-side up. The wind and chilling rain whipped across the fourteen year old. Even in the flight suit, Gracie could feel rain battering her body as she descended towards the ground.

Momma! Where was Momma? They both ejected out of the aircraft but…oh God, what was happening? The ground was getting closer and…where was Momma? The ejection seat had reached the tree tops and would soon be on the ground. Gracie HAD to keep her head if she wanted to stand any chance of finding Momma. Closer…closer…brace for impact! The seat hit the ground with a loud crunch. If Gracie hadn't thought to brace herself, she'd likely have bit her tongue. The parachute kept flaring up in the wind and threatened to drag Gracie off until she thought to mash down the release. And…there went the chute.

_Okay…okay, you can do this. You've reached the ground…now what? First…I have to get out of this rain._

She had no idea how long this storm would last so if she didn't want to catch pneumonia, she needed to find cover. The flight suite was insulated but that wouldn't hold up in a storm like this. Through the rain, Gracie could make out the tree line about fifteen yards ahead of her. The trees looked to be thick enough to stem the rain so that would be the best place to set up camp. Now she needed the emergency pack. Nearly every GJ fighter had the ejection seats set up the same way. That meant that her survival equipment would be stored in a compartment under the padded seat. She climbed off and could feel bruises where the harness had dug into her flesh. She'd be sore tomorrow; that's for sure. Thankfully the emergency pack was right where she anticipated that it would be. She hefted the bundle onto her back and took off running towards the woods.

The massive and interlacing branches acted as an awning and Gracie heaved a massive sigh of relief as the rain abated. Okay, first she needed to set up shelter. Somewhere in the pack was…AHA, the GJ standard issue survival tent. Compressed to the size of a small cable box, with the push of a button the little bundle would expand into an insulated four-person tent. Gracie took a look around and this was probably as good a clearing as any. Press the button, toss it out…and a split second later a cozy tent emerged from and was secured to the ground. No more motivation needed, Gracie climbed inside, hauling the pack in behind her.

The flight suit should still be adequate to keep her warm but the space heater would be the next order of business. With the heat blowing, Gracie began setting up the entire pack. Everything in the pack was designed to help a GJ agent survive in virtually any environment. The standard pack had enough rations to last her about two weeks if she was careful, probably longer if she could make a go of foraging. A dozen rounds for the flare gun, a sidearm for self-defense, first aid kit, radio, and binoculars; that checked out. She'd get the water purifier set up once the rain stopped. A laser axe for splitting wood, a fire starting kit, and last but not least, a Global Justice Geo-Sync system and homing beacons.

_Okay Possible; this is your only chance if you want to find Momma._

In simple terms, a Geo-Sync system was a GPS. Every Global Justice craft was equipped with one and each one could pick up on the other, almost like their own network. Though it had a limited range of about 30 miles, one Geo-Sync could pick up on all the others within that range. Momma had to be somewhere within that range. The homing beacons would be useful if she would be stuck here long term.

Gracie was satisfied with how the campsite had been set up…but she HAD to find Momma. Now that she had a base of operations set up, she needed to assess her situation and form a plan. First…where was Momma? The Tomcat went down somewhere in the bay; she remembered that much. The storm…if she remembered correctly the storm had been coming from almost directly North. At least that meant that there was no chance that Momma was in the bay. That meant…that meant…ARRRGGGHHH, why didn't she pay more attention in geometry class? Well she couldn't be that far away. But…oh man, she could've landed anywhere within twenty or thirty miles.

_So what if it is? Gracie Anne Possible, this is your Momma! If Mom were here, she wouldn't rest until she found Momma…and neither will you!_

But this wasn't going to be easy. This was thirty miles that she'd have to search on foot. That was where the homing beacons came in. Under normal circumstances, the homing beacons were to be used to locate sources of food or fresh water and always provide you a route back to your campsite. Gracie flipped on the sync system and studied the lay of the land. She had ten beacons and if she was studying the screen correctly, using the homing beacons, she could set up a grid, ensuring that she didn't cover the same region twice. She'd leave one beacon in the tent so that she could find her way back but the other nine should be enough.

Okay; she had a plan! It sounded like the rain was letting up and her flight suit felt dry. She sheathed the radio and sidearm on her belt and slung the binoculars case over her shoulder. She climbed out of the tent, flipped on a beacon, tossed it in the tent, and zipped it up. The last thing she needed was a bunch of critters invading her campsite.

Upon returning to the impact site, the ejection chair seemed to have held up well. That boded well. Somewhere inside was a distress beacon transmitting back to any and all Global Justice facilities on the continent. The only problem was…good grief, it didn't look like it was transmitting. Now she HAD to find Momma. She was probably the only one within a thousand miles who could repair it.

The fourteen year old pilot turned survivalist drew her binoculars and began scanning the area. The Tomcat had definitely been headed towards the bay when they ejected and….there! She could spot debris floating about thirty yards out. Had this been Middleton, she'd swim out and see what she could recover…but the water was probably cold enough that the debris was fine where it was. Now…where to start?

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

What the devil was going on? It was after seven and Shego and Gracie weren't back yet. No calls, no messages…what was wrong? Shego knew better than to do this. Well…they'd just have to start dinner without her. Kim stormed over to the fridge and began rooting through the contents for something to feed the twins. If they made stops along the way, that would be one thing but even when Gracie wasn't with her, her wife always came straight home after her flying time. You could set your…wait…what if… No; if something had happened Betty Director herself would've been at the door right away.

"Are Gracie and Shego running late?" Kim was obviously a little peeved and Abby wasn't too sure she wanted to get involved in this. Her employers and dear friends could be quite explosive when their tempers were ignited.

"I don't know what's going on," The redhead groaned, hefting a frozen container of spaghetti out of the freezer. She cracked the lid, tossed it in the microwave, and started it up. "You can set your watch by Eme's schedule. Every Sunday after church she goes to the airfield to get her flying time, is done at three and is always home by four. If she's running late or something came up she ALWAYS calls."

As if out of spite, the kitchen phone began ringing. ABOUT TIME! Kim marched over and snatched the phone off the receiver. "Shego Possible, where the heck are…"

"Kim," Assistant Deputy Director Will Du tried to get a word in. "Kim…its Will; something has happened."

No…oh please God no! Her wife…her baby girl…

"Kim, we need you to get here ASAP. I'll be able to explain more when you get here."

This couldn't be good. Abby had seen that look on Kim's face only a handful of times and each time someone dear to her had been in mortal danger. Was it…did something happen to…NO! They were fine. Shego and Gracie were fine. Until she was proven wrong…and she WOULDN'T be…she had to be the level head. She had to be the voice of reason.

"Kim? Kim did something happen to Shego and Gracie?"

"I…I…"

The poor woman couldn't even get a word out. "Kim, listen to me. Go; go wherever you need to go. If something is wrong…Kim, the girls don't need to know about it. I will take care of things here. You need to help your wife and daughter."

The woman was on autopilot. The seasoned world saver marched out of the kitchen and towards the garage as if she were an automaton, face blank, completely devoid of emotion of any kind. Abby heard the Traverse flair to life and head down the driveway. She grabbed the Cross around her neck. The Jaws of Life wouldn't be able to break that grip. "O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end. In the Lord's name I pray, Amen."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"WHERE ARE MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER?"

Kim Possible burst into the Middleton branch of Global Justice as if they were holding her loved ones prisoner in that very building. Like the Red Sea parting before Moses's feet, the various workers jumped out of the path of the coming storm. The woman before them looked as if she'd crawled to Hell on her belly and made the return trip the same way. Her eyes were streaked with tears…and yet there was a fire in them that would make even the most seasoned spy break.

_Well…"We choose to do these things, not because they are easy but because they are hard"._

William Du, recently promoted Assistant Deputy Director of Global Justice, felt as if he were shrinking underneath that thunderous gaze. He hadn't disclosed anything over the phone but it looked as if Kim already knew or at least suspected the worst. Please…just let this not turn out to be bad news. If Shego and Gracie were…Good God, there would be no force on Earth that would stop her.

"Uh…over here Kim."

The redhead made a bee line for her old friend. No words were spoken. Kim's eyes screamed for Will to take her to wherever she could find answers.

"Kim, I need to stress that information is still coming in."

"Don't BULLSHIT me Will," Kim barked as they entered the command center. "What has happened to my wife and daughter?"

Oh this was not going to be easy. "At 1230 hours, Shego and Gracie took off in one of our refurbished F14 Tomcats, set for a free flight into Canada and over Hudson Bay. They briefly stopped off at CFB Borden for a meal and continued on. They made it to Hudson bay but a storm crept up over the bay and we lost track of them. Canadian Air Command thinks the plane may have been struck by lightning."

Oh dear God! Shego…her baby girl…

"There is good news though. Before we lost their signal, we DID receive the ejection seat signal. Kim…KIM…" Will grabbed the redhead by the shoulders. They had a chance and he needed to keep Kim focused. "Kim, there's an excellent chance that Kim and Gracie made it out of the fighter before it crashed.

Did…what did…she needed Wade! Wade would be able to find them anywhere in the world. She whipped out her Kimmunicator and keyed up a call.

"Hey Kim what's…Kim, what's wrong?" Had Kim been crying?

"Wade, there's been an accident. Please…key up Shego and Gracie's homing beacons."

The seasoned tech whiz didn't ask any further questions. He'd only seen that look on his longtime friend's face a handful of times but each time was a call to action, no questions, no arguing, just action.

While Kim was first pregnant, after being abducted by the crazed Bonnie Rockwaller, Kim had been stripped of her clothing and had it not been for the tracer in her necklace, she would've been almost untraceable. Ever since that day, Wade had been working on a biometric homing beacon to be embedded in the human body. According to his theory, the beacon would feed off of the electrical impulses of the human body and emit a signal that Wade would be able to locate anywhere on the planet to within a square mile. As long as the heart was beating, even only slightly, Wade could find any member of the Possible family anywhere in the world. Shortly after Gracie's eighth birthday, he'd had a breakthrough and was able to produce a finished prototype.

Wade's tracking system, even without the Possible beacons, was one of the best in the world. A topographical map of North America materialized on Wade's central screen and began scanning for the beacons. Good news right away, the signals were picked up so that meant they were alive. They were in Canada. They were in Ontario. Wait…what? Something wasn't right here. He was able to pinpoint their location as somewhere in Northern Ontario along the Hudson coast but he couldn't get any closer. There was some kind of interference that he wasn't seeing. Could be the ejection seat, could be a malfunction of the beacon transmitter, could be any number of things. But Shego and Gracie were alive and Wade could give a general location.

"Well Kim, good news and bad news. They're both alive," Wade heard the redhead heave a massive sigh of relief, looking like she was about to start crying again, this time out of relief. "I've got them somewhere in Northern Ontario along the coast. Now either there's a malfunction with the beacons' transmitters or there's some kind of interference but I can't get a more specific location."

They were ALIVE! Thank God in Heaven, her wife and daughter were alive. And she was going to find them. She was going to go to Ontario and bring her loved ones back so she could hug the both of them and never let them go. "Wade, I don't know how to thank you. I'll touch base with you as soon as I get to Ontario." The screen winked out and Kim turned to Will Du. "How soon can you get me transportation heading north?"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

There she was!

The first ejection seat had been blown WAY off course by the wind and crashed through the trees and into a clearing. Momma looked to still be in the chair, probably knocked unconscious. Gracie would have to be quick about this. The light was failing and she only had about an hour of good light to get Momma out and get her back to the tent. She picked up her pace, leaping over logs and rocks…and was forced to come up short, dead in her tracks.

Directly in front of the young woman, three Gray Wolves loafed out of the trees and into her path, startled slightly by Gracie's sudden stop. Well this was unexpected. What was this strange creature doing here? There weren't any like this for a great distance. Other packs had spoken of them but none very few had ever been seen in these parts.

"Okay you three…uh…I'm not going to hurt you," Were the Gray Wolves the ones who were vicious? "But I've gotta get by you to help my Momma. I think she's hurt."

The young creature seemed to be concerned about the injured older creature behind them. Her scent…this young creature was the older's offspring. She must be here to help the older creature. This young pup didn't smell like a danger to them or their pack. They would leave her to her work.

Unless Gracie was very much mistaken, those wolves just nodded their approval of her. The center wolf gave a small bark and the trio moved on, leaving the way clear. She didn't want any more interruptions and sprinted the last leg. At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with her. But Gracie had a way of knowing for sure. Gracie's control of her healing powers was progressing rapidly and she'd been able to develop a sort of "sub-power" which she liked to call "delving". Without actually healing anything or exerting herself too hard, she could "delve" into the body in question and determine exactly what their condition was and where a problem was. The safety harness had dug too hard into her torso and Momma had a dislocated shoulder. Other than that, it looked like Momma just had her bells rung. Gracie knew she wouldn't be able to move the older woman on her own. How was she going to do this? She thought back to her Pixie scout days; a litter! She had to build a litter. Let's see…hard wood branches for the frame…and there were plenty of pine branches to use for bedding. Momma let out a small groan, pulling Gracie out of her studies of the local trees she had to work with.

"Don't worry Momma. I'll have you safe and warm in no time."

_Author's Notes:_

_The wilderness can truly demonstrate the mettle of a person. The daughter of Kim and Shego Possible is a survivor. As for Kim, well I know the quote is "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" but I would also add that Hell hath no fury like a woman mourning. No one can prevent her from bringing her family back to her and God help the person who would try._


	4. Chapter 4

_Argh!_

_Wheeze!_

_Groan!_

Dear God, every fiber of her body seemed to be an aching lump of something or other. The lids of her eyes felt like weights were attached. Shego could remember the storm…the machinery going haywire…and…? Blast it; everything else was a blank. Absolutely no idea where she was, how she had gotten here or...Gracie? What happened to Gracie? Her darling daughter had been in the seat behind her when they had ejected! She HAD to get up! Damn the weight and DAMN the pain! With every fiber of strength that remained, the reformed thief forced her eyes open and her torso up.

Okay…she was in a tent. Taking a quick look around, she could make out that all of the equipment inside was GJ standard issue. Thank Goodness for that! Gracie had to have survived the ejection without a scratch and made camp. That meant that her daughter had found her and managed to bring her back.

"Gracie, muffin? Where are you?"

A melodious laugh that could only belong to Shego's eldest daughter sounded outside. Despite her screaming muscles, the mother forced herself onto her knees and crawled towards the tent flap. Looking outside, Shego couldn't help but notice the beauty of their current location. If the circumstances were different, she could even see bringing the rest of the family up here for a good old fashioned rustic camping trip. Now where was…WHAT THE? Just outside the trees, Shego could see her oldest daughter running and playing with what she could only imagine were wild Gray Wolves. Had she been stronger, Shego would've shot out of the tent with plasma blazing. But…if someone wasn't observing very closely, they would likely see a fourteen year old girl playing with her sled dogs.

"Gracie?"

The fourteen year old's head jerked up from her new friends and back to her mother. She was finally awake! With the wolves' help, Gracie had gotten Momma back to the tent within a few hours. She fell in and out of consciousness on the way and had slept for hours afterwards, twelve hours at least. Gracie had done her best to keep Shego comfortable and tend to her wounds during that time and had been waiting for a sign.

Gracie closed the distance and tenderly embraced her mother, careful not to hurt her. "How are you feeling Momma?"

"Uh…well, a little overwhelmed," Shego released her daughter and began rubbing her temples. "I'm having trouble remembering some of what's happened over the last few hours…"

"I can explain later. But I think you need to lie back down. You still look very weak."

The irony was not lost on Shego as she laid back down into her bedding. She could remember oh so clearly the times when she would mother over her daughters when they were sick. Please God, don't let it be for a long time…but Gracie was going to make an excellent Mom. Shego leaned her head up and began sipping from the water that Gracie had offered her.

"So…what happened, muffin?"

"Well, you thought that a bolt of lightning had struck the jet and made the hardware go haywire," Gracie set the cup down and fluffed Momma's pillows. "We both ejected and my chair landed on the beach. I was able to set up camp under these trees and get started looking for you."

"When…when did the wolves show up?" Shego cringed as she tried to shift to a more comfortable position.

"About the time I found you. I set up a grid search and went looking for you. I found your location on my second try and the three wolves got between me and you. They're very friendly," Gracie looked back out the tent flap at her new friends. "I built a litter to get you back to the tent and they helped me pull it back."

"Did you get banged up on the way down?"

"A few bumps and bruises. So not the drama." Shego couldn't help but smile as her daughter borrowed Kim's motto. Gracie Anne Possible may have a pale complexion but every time Shego looked at the little miracle that brought her and Kim together, she always saw her wife. God bless them. Kim and her daughters truly could do anything.

"So what's to eat in this little hole in the wall? I feel like I could eat a horse, bones and all."

Gracie laughed and stepped outside to one of the camp ovens she'd dug around the campsite. There should still be some baked veggies that Momma could keep down. Gracie unearthed the bundle of foil and began piling the carrots, broccoli, and potatoes onto a plate. Usually Momma couldn't resist making a little jab at her daughter about the lack of seasoning, Gracie was a better cook than Mom but still nowhere near Momma's skill, but the moment she set the plate down Shego began wolfing down the veggies as fast as she could get a hold of silverware.

"How's," Shego muttered through mouthfuls of mashed veggies. "How's the ejection seat?"

"The seat's intact but the homing beacon was damaged. It looks reparable but…"

Inside two minutes the plate was licked clean. With some half-way's decent grub in her belly, Shego's mind began taking stock of the past day's events and their situation. Then it finally hit her! Her baby girl! Her baby girl had nearly been killed. Without warning, the older woman sat bolt upright and embraced her daughter as tightly as she could.

She could be embarrassing and over-protective…but Momma was one in a million. "It's okay Momma. I'm okay."

"I love you so much Muffin," Shego's breath caught and she had to fight off a tear threatening to slip down her cheek. "I'm so proud of you. You're so much like Mom."

"Speaking of…where do you think she is?"

_KPKPKPKPKPKP_

_This is not going to be a pleasant experience…not that I can really blame her._

Colonel Harris was standing on the tarmac, cringing at the sight of the approaching Global Justice transport chopper. The news of Shego and her daughter crashing in the wilderness, after she'd only just seen them, had hit the woman like a ton of bricks. Whatever she could do…whatever anyone on the base could do to help Kimberly through this…nothing would be out of the question. If this were her stepdaughters…She held onto her uniform cap as the chopper touched down and the embarkation ramp descended. A mop of red hair was immediately visible as Kim Possible came into view and marched directly towards the Colonel.

"What's the sitch?"

"Your wife and daughter left here shortly after dinner yesterday," Colonel Harris shook the offered hand and gestured for Kim to follow her. "Environment Canada predicted a small squall over their flight path and…well quite frankly it wound up being infinitely worse than expected." Harris led Kim into the base and led the redhead to the Colonel's private office. Everyone needed to be focusing on their jobs in a situation like this and Kim's nerves would likely be frayed. Both women entered the Colonel's office and Colonel Harris activated the screen beside her desk. A red line tracking Shego's flight plan began streaking across the screen, coming to a stop roughly twenty miles short of Hudson Bay. "Until we recover the wreckage, we'll likely not know what brought the jet down."

"Do we have an exact position fix on them?" Northern Ontario was complete wilderness. Kim Possible would NOT leave her wife and daughter out there any longer than it took her to find them.

"That's the bad news. Global Justice gave us the tracking frequencies for the emergency beacon and Mr. Load the frequencies of their personal trackers. The emergency beacon in Gracie's seat must've been damaged when she ejected. We can't turn it off remotely and it's causing interference with their trackers. There's about a seventy mile radius in which they could be holed up."

_Thank God! At least that means they're still alive!_ "Do we have birds in the air?"

"Choppers are enroot as we speak with four search and rescue squads."

"Okay, get me into a cockpit. I'm going…"

Oh, not on her LIFE! Tammy's maternal instincts screamed out against Kim's statement. The poor soul looked as if she hadn't eaten or slept since she received the news. No! Tammy had a bunk room in the facility and Kim was going straight there whether she wanted to or not. And if she refused…well Tammy wasn't above ordering the MPs to escort her there and the base physician to sedate her.

"Kimberly Possible, you are not going anywhere until you get a nap."

"Tammy, I appreciate…"

"'Appreciate' NOTHING," Tammy fixed Kim with a glare and a pointed finger. "Kim you can barely stand, your eyes are bloodshot, and they've got bags underneath. Now listen to me. We've got everyone we can spare looking for Shego and Gracie. We know they're alive and we WILL find them. But you driving yourself to exhaustion for them isn't going to help them. Now, I promise you that you will be on the next flight out…but so help me, if I have to, I will call your mother and she will have the base physician sedate you."

_Princess, you know she is right!_

And of course, if Eme were here, Kim wouldn't only be hearing that in her head. Why did Eme always seem to be the voice of reason when it came to what was good for Kim? But…oh damn it! Fine! Like a prisoner being led to her cell, Kim got to her feet (ignoring the fact that her limbs seemed to be jelly) and followed Tammy to a warm bed.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP  
This pup and her mother were not like the other two legs the pack had encountered. Everywhere that Moon Hunt had gone where he had encountered two legs, trouble always seemed to follow; but these two? At times, they seemed to be members of the pack. Many of the younglings enjoyed playing with the younger red furred pup, under the always watchful eyes of her mother. But Moon Hunt could tell that the pup and her mother were ready to return to their own hunting grounds. The mother in particular ached to return to her mate and other pups. None of the pack knew how, but Moon Hunt would help them however they could.

The mother was still healing from her wounds so Moon Hunt took it upon himself to watch the pup, the one the pack called Red Wind, while she worked, leaving Cloud Chaser and Hot Rock to watch over the mother. Today, she seemed to be trying to remove a piece of the strange object that appeared at the same time the pair had. The pup's scent conveyed extreme urgency; so Moon Hunt could only assume this would help them return.

With a loud _clink_, a piece was freed, the force throwing the pup backwards onto her rear. Ever the resilient one, Red Wind jumped to her feet and hugged the piece to her chest. She looked as pleased as a pup on their first successful hunt. Red Wind hefted the piece and began running towards their den, stopping to pet the fur between Moon Hunt's ears.

KPKPKPKPKPKP

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Aaaaaand…THERE WE GO! With a great tug, the emergency beacon came free, throwing Gracie onto her rear but keeping the beacon in her arms. FINALLY! If Gracie had to hear Momma moaning and complaining about her bed rest much longer, the fourteen year old would punch a tree! Now, at least Momma could get to work on repairing any damage to the beacon and Gracie could have a little peace and quiet. Gracie jumped to her feet, hefting the beacon under one arm, and spotted the older wolf that had been keeping an eye on her every time she left camp, almost as if the wolf were her babysitter. She rubbed the wolf between the ears and began sojourning back to the campsite.

_You know, if you could forget the fact that Momma and I crash landed here, that Momma nearly broke every bone in her body, this is kind of a fun vacation._

Her history class had been learning about the American frontier and this was pretty much what she imagined it would look like. Forests that went on for miles, hardly a soul for miles; it was beautiful. That little revere took her the remaining mile towards camp where she spotted two other wolves. _They've GOT to be babysitters._

"Break out the tools Momma," Gracie ducked into the tent, catching Shego brushing her teeth. "I found you something to do."

"Thanks Muffin," Shego rinsed her mouth out and spit. "Because if I know your Mom, she's tearing through the countryside to give me a lecture about our little hobby."

_Author's Notes:_

_I had originally started out wanting to incorporate a lot of Top Gun into the story but have kind of turned more towards Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, an old movie from my childhood in which a boy, about Gracie's age, is lost in the Canadian wilderness with his dog and the two have to survive until found._

_I've always been partial to Grey Wolves and like making them actual characters a la the wolves in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. A past reader suggested Gracie test her healing powers on animals and I think she might have that opportunity sometime soon. Just have to keep reading and see. _


	5. Chapter 5

"Abby…are Momma and Gracie going to be okay?"

That little voice, dripping with innocence, was a stab to Abby's heart. Emily was so very aware and intelligent for her age, like ALL the Possible women. But Emily in particular always seemed to be able to tell when something was wrong or when someone was in trouble. When Kim or Shego were on missions, it was always Emily who found her way into Abby's bed, complaining that she couldn't sleep, begging for assurances that Mom and Momma were going to be okay. Gracie was usually a help…but dear God, she was mixed up in this too!

"Oh, they're going to be fine. 'Anything's possible for a Possible." And please, let that hold true this time. Keeping the twins calm and unaware was all that was keeping Abby from breaking down. Shego…flat out, Abby owed Shego her life; and Gracie…NO! She would NOT go there! Shego and Gracie were going to be fine…ARE fine. Abby glanced at the antique wall clock and back at the twins. It was a school night after all. "Okay girls; time for bed."

Abby received the usual complaints of "not tired" and "just a few more minutes" but inevitably the girls bowed to Nana Abby's will and followed her upstairs to their room. Covers were tucked in, bedtime songs were sung, and half an hour later Abby was left alone with her thoughts.

She had to do something. She needed something to keep her mind occupied. The holster on Abby's belt rubbed against her lower back. She guessed that was as good an activity as any. A few years ago, as a birthday gift, Kim and Shego had had a small firing range built onto the house for Abby to practice for her shooting competitions. Until she got word from Kim, she need to keep her mind focused.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

She had to keep her mind clear! All night, Kim's sleep deprived mind kept dragging up images of Gracie and Eme all alone, huddled and freezing…or even worse. _What the Hell are you talking about Kimberly Anne Possible? Your wife is one of the toughest, most feared women in the world! And Gracie? Gracie is the best of Eme and you all rolled up into a ball of wonderful. You know that they are alive and if they are alive, can you think of two women more likely to survive?_

"There's a clearing about two miles ahead where we set up a base of operations," the pilot announced. "I'll drop you and the group off there so you can get up to speed on the search."

The base commander introduced himself as Captain Andre Dubord of the Canadian Forces Search and Rescue. They'd been going fly overs and had groups searching the countryside since yesterday. The team had groups on foot and on horseback, having covered about a third of the possible territory so far. Really, the only choice for her would be to go out on horseback. Right now, she'd be better off on her own, just her and Wade via the Kimmunicator. Protocol dictated that she radio in every two hours to keep the base informed of her progress.

"GRACIE? SHEGO?"

She scanned the forest through a set of GJ binoculars for any sign of life or that someone had been there. But all she saw before her was wilderness, endless tracks of wilderness. And that was the story for hours. The seasoned world saver reined in her horse and took a moment to survey her map. If memory served, there was a freshwater river nearby that led to Hudson Bay. Any Pixie Scout worth their badges knew that when lost in the woods, the first thing to do was find fresh water. By her calculations, about a mile northwest of her current position.

Kim pulled her horse to a halt at the river, tying the reigns to a low hanging branch so the horse could get some water. She took a minute to examine the terrain surrounding the riverbank. The soil was wet enough that GJ boots would easily leave footprints. This provided an excellent opportunity for Kim to test a new prototype Wade was working on, Bionic Optic Lenses. According to Wade, upon putting on the "glasses", a pulse from the Kimmunicator would make any footprints within thirty feet immediately identifiable. Kim slipped the glasses on and whipped out her trusty communication device. An ultrasonic pulse spread across the terrain, illuminating a wide variety of animal footprints…and ONE pair of prints about Gracie's size.

This was IT! Gracie and Shego were somewhere around here! "SR Base, this is Kim Possible. My position is the intersection of Sachigo River and sector three. I've identified a set of footprints the size and shape of my daughter's…"

"MOM!"

Kim's breath caught, her head unconsciously turning in the direction of the noise. There she was! Gracie Anne Possible was standing twenty feet away, seemingly free of any injuries and as perfect as they day she was brought home from the hospital. The radio fell to the mud and mother and daughter made a bee line to each other, leaping fallen limbs and bushes as if they weren't even there. With a great thump, Gracie was hauled up into Kim's arms, throwing Kim backwards onto the mossy ground.

"Thank you GOD," All she could do was kiss her daughter. The tears streaming down Kim's eyes weren't even an issue. "I'm so glad you're not hurt! I…I was afraid…"

"So not the Drama Mom."

"Oh but it WAS," She held her daughter even tighter, not caring one wit that the pair were smeared with moss. "When I got the news that you and Momma…where's Momma?"

That had finally provided Gracie with the opening to wriggle free of Mom's grip and haul them to their feet. Gracie had nearly forgotten about Momma herself. She was going to completely flip when Mom came strolling into camp. Momma had been making little progress with repairing the emergency beacon and now the whole thing would prove moot. They would be able to go home TONIGHT! "Well, she got a little banged up in the ejection and is still recovering but we've been surviving…with a little help."

_A little help?_ Kim could puzzle out that last bit later. Now, she wanted to hold her beautiful wife in her arms and upon getting her back to Middleton, do things to her that would make teenage Kim Possible turn redder than a beet. She ushered for her daughter to take the lead…but then grabbed her by the scruff. Was that…was that a Gray Wolf in their path?

"Gracie…don't move."

"Wha…" Gracie looked around the forest, immediately recognizing the tone in Mom's voice. But all she could see was…oh wait! Geez, Gracie and Momma had gotten so accustomed to the wolves being around their campsite that she didn't even register what was happening. "Oh, Mom, it's okay. They're not dangerous." Gracie motioned for the wolf, the one she'd affectionately begun calling Rufus, over. The wolf trotted up and began nuzzling Gracie's hands.

"Well…if I didn't see it with my own eyes," KIM was the girl who could do anything? Her daughter had made friends with a wild animal and made it seem as tame as any dog. Her daughter was one of the most remarkable people that she knew. She let out a laugh as she reached down to pet the wolf. "So…so this pack of wolves have been living with and helping you for the past few days?"

Gracie proceeded to walk Mom through the events of the past few days, how Gracie was the first to come to, set up camp, and how she had gone about looking for Momma. Mom seemed to be hanging on every word. Gracie had been so caught up in the events surrounding her and Momma that hadn't really thought much about what was going on back home. That brought up images of Abby and the twins and a fresh pang of emotion and desire to see them again. Emily was always a little scared when Mom or Momma was on a mission and she hoped her little sis wasn't too worried.

Mom was very impressed at the campsite Gracie had set up…and still did a few double takes at the wolves seeming to stand guard.

"Momma, look what I found by the river."

There was grunting and wheezing but a slow moving Shego made her way to the tent flap. What was Gracie doing back already? It was at least a twenty minute walk to the river and thirty back when carrying the water jugs. Shego slowly made her head out and…KIMMIE! Either she had doesed off and was in the middle of a dream or her Princess had found them! She tenderly reached out and caressed the cheek that she had so often kissed…and it was oh so real. Bodily pain be damned; Shego enveloped the younger woman and kissed her as passionately as she could. Good grief, Kimmie had never tasted so good!

"Oh Eme…you crash landed and spent two days in the wilderness and you're still a vision of loveliness that makes my quiver." Kim whispered. These were unusual circumstances but Kim and Shego were still aware of their pact to keep things appropriate around their kids.

Gracie rolled her eyes. Sometimes when Mom and Momma were being ooey gooey, she felt like taking a shot of insulin. The pair finally broke apart and Mom realized that she had been so shocked at Gracie's appearance that she had dropped and left her radio at the river. Gracie had wanted an excuse to scram while Mom and Momma were all lovey dovey so she took it immediately. What was it with parents? Kids did NOT want to think about them doing "stuff". Momma had that look in her eye that as soon as they were home and in the 'rents bedroom…GROSS! BAD IMAGE! Gracie spied the older wolf, whom she'd taken to calling Patches for the splotches of cream colored fur over his eyes.

"Come on Patches; let's scram." Even Gracie was amazed at this. It was literally like the wolf could tell exactly what she was saying. The pair turned and trotted off into the woods back towards the river. In a strange way, she was going to miss this. Granted, she had survived a plane crash and had to hunt up Momma, but the few days that she had spent here? Well she KNEW she was going to miss the wolf pack. "What about you Patches? Are you all going to miss us when we leave?"

Gracie could hear Mom's horse snorting as they approached the river. Was something wrong? She could just make out the horse's head and he looked to be mad with panic. Horses were extremely skittish around wolves so motioned for Patches to stay put. All the same, something didn't feel right. Gracie's hand drifted down to the sidearm holstered at her hip. All of a sudden, the forest didn't seem as peaceful as it had a minute ago. How many wild animals were there out there who would attack a fourteen year old girl without thinking?

There was the radio, three feet out of the horse's reach. Without warning, the tree branch snapped and the horse took off running. Frack! Well, at least she got the radio. Whoever Mom was working with could send a helicopter or something as soon as they radioed in.

Without warning, a monstrous roar sounded, jerking Gracie around to see the true reason why the horse had bolted. Standing at full height before her was a massive black bear. Gracie only had time to scream before a massive ham-sized paw smacked her side, throwing her into a tree and knocking the wind out of her. The next few minutes were all a jumbled blurr.

KPKPKPKPKPKP

That smell! It hung in Moon Hunt's nose like the rotting stench of an old kill. There was a bear nearby…and it was in the throes of madness! Wolves and bears had a peaceful relationship as long as food was abundant and bears for the most part would never stray from their grounds or at least not within vicinity of the pack den. But madness eliminated all of that. A mad bear would venture straight into the den and tear the mothers and pups to shreds. He howled a warning to the pack and called for more hunters to aid him. The horse that had been left behind by Fire Paw's mate had finally broken free and run off, leaving Red Wind and himself as the only prey in the area.

THERE! There it was, a short distance away from Red Wind…and she was oblivious to it. Moon Hunt had only moments to act. He took off running as fast as his old legs would carry him. The bear raised a paw and struck Red Wind, throwing her into a tree. He HAD to reach her! With a great leap over a fallen tree, Moon Hunt entered a fighting stance, snarling a challenge though the bear wouldn't likely understand it.

_You shall not harm this pup!_

The bear was just as incoherent as expected. But at least his focus was on Moon Hunt and not Red Wind. It meant death to attack a bear; Moon Hunt would have to plague him until help could arrive. He circled the bear, keeping just out of reach of the massive paws and teeth, leading the beast further way from Red Wind. He ducked and dove, narrowly avoiding the attacks but the strain was beginning to wear on him. Without more hunters, this would soon come to an end. With a great lunge, Moon Hunt could feel the razor-sharp claws dig into his pelt.

KPKPKPKPKPKP

"I knew! I knew you'd find us." Shego snuggled up into her wife's arms. Princess had often commented on how when embraced by the warmth of her wife's flesh, she never felt so safe and secure. Well…Shego could only guess that THIS was what Kimmie was talking about.

"So what was it that brought the ship down?" Kim asked, wrapping an arm around her wife's torso.

"Well, the crash kind of Swiss cheezed my memory but Gracie said that the fighter was struck by lightning, frying all the systems. It was also probably what damaged the emergency beacon." Shego couldn't wait to get back to the Palace, back to the Twins, to Abby, and back to her students. "Oh Kimmie, you should be so proud of our daughter. She NEVER lost her cool! She remembered her training and did exactly what we taught her."

"What do you know? I guess we're doing a pretty good job with her after all," Kimmie smiled and planted a kiss on her wife's cheek. "You ever wonder if the kids will figure out that we are completely making it up as we go along?"

The pair shared a laugh and sighed in contentment. Kim couldn't wait to get home and put her family back where they belonged. She kept flashing back to that day when she first heard the news, how mad she was at Shego for being late. Realistically, it WOULD happen again; she wouldn't make false promises saying that it wouldn't. But dear God, she loved her wife and she hoped Shego would never forget that. The moment that the pair entered the confines of their bedroom, Kim was prepared to do things to that woman what would make her teenage self faint with shock.

Both ears perked up at the sound of a wolf howl coming from the river. Both bodies shot up at the young scream that followed. That was Gracie! That howl had to have been the wolf that she brought with her. Had the wolf…?

"I know what you're thinking," Shego ducked back into the tent and grabbed the SIG P226 sidearm. Her plasma had finally returned to her but Kim would need something. Once she returned, she could see the wolves who had been watching them run off in the direction of the river. "Those wolves look after her like she was one of their pups."

Her wife had good judgment but Kim wasn't ruling anything out. She caught the sidearm and extra clip, pocketing the extra clip and checking the one already loaded. Kim took point with Shego following close behind, the pain in her limbs now forgotten. Twenty minutes to the river! That was some of the longest trekking in Kim's life. The river finally came into sight and Kim quickly began scanning the bank for any sign of Gracie. Kim's horse looked to have bolted and Kim could see the wolf dodging the strikes with a hulking black bear. The way it was behaving, Kim ventured a guess that the creature was rabid. Thankfully the wolf had gotten itself between the bear and Gracie and it really looked to be making every effort to draw the bear away from her daughter. WHERE…WAS…GRACIE? Wait…was that…yes; Gracie was sprawled against a tree. No obvious injuries but they had to get her out of there.

"Okay, your plasma will definitely be more effective," Kim pointed towards the bear as she made a bee line for their daughter. "That thing looks rabid so take it out before it gets away."

Kim ducked and dove under a few low hanging branches and quickly knelt next to Gracie. Okay, what was wrong? She had a few cuts on her right side. None looked too deep, all her ribs felt fine. The cuts were bleeding plenty. Kim had to use only what was available so she ripped the sleeve of her shirt and began stemming the bleeding. The worst of it seemed to be that she'd had the wind knocked out of her when she was thrown into the tree.

"Gracie? Pumpkin, can you hear me?"

"Where…is…Patches?"

Kim looked towards her wife. As if in slow motion, Kim could see the bear's paw strike the wolf in the chest. A minute later, Shego lobbed a ball of plasma just behind the bear. The resulting explosion threw the bear off its feet. Before the beast could right itself, Shego mustered a beam of plasma and sent it bussing directly towards the bear's head, thankfully flying true and burning a hole clear through the bear's skull. Had the wolf still been on its feet…did a rabid bear just save the wolf's life?

"Mom…get me on my feet."

The fourteen year old ignored her mom's protests and climbed to her feet. She was a little wobbly but could keep her feet. All she could see was Patches. The bear had made a great gouge into Patches' chest and blood was pouring out. Patches had…Patches had saved her life. He had sacrificed himself to keep her safe. She couldn't let Patches die but…could her healing powers work on animals? She'd been making great progress under Momma's tutelage but…well one way or another she was going to try today. She knelt beside her animal friend and placed her hands over the wound. All focus was brought to the wound. Gracie could feel the plasma pulsing through her body and the images began to form inside her head; an artist's canvas, smashed to pieces. She had to reassemble it, piece together the broken framing and knit the canvas into one. Join the pieces…sew the fabric…join the pieces…sew the fabric. That was her mantra. Over and over she repeated it as she visualized what needed to be done.

_Author's Notes:  
I opened the story with the dinner scene because Abby has seen Kim and Shego overcome numerous enemies but Mother Nature is another matter altogether. I still love how Gracie continues to be embarrassed by her parents, even in the middle of Northern Ontario. I think it is working, Gracie's interactions with the wolves. I'm torn on whether or not I want to give Gracie the gift of gab as a second power or have this be something associated with all the kids' meta-human DNA that comes out in later stories. Any thoughts?_


	6. Chapter 6

There was a knock at the door and Dr. Astrid Mackenzie got up from her station to open the door. She had greatly been looking forward to this appointment. Word of Shego and Gracie Possible's experiences in Northern Ontario had been the subject of nearly every news station in the country. But frankly, after surviving a plane crash, three days in the wilderness, Kim Possible traipsing through the forest to find them, and what Astrid had heard was an attack by a rabid black bear, they were probably entitled to a little bit of notice. Surprisingly, there had been no appearances by the family, despite numerous requests. So it came as quite a surprise when Astrid had been told that the Possible family would be paying her a visit today, HER; a simple scientist at the Ministry of Environment. What could they want with her?

She'd seen their pictures but it was another experience seeing two bona fide world savers standing before her. Kim Possible, world famous novelist and one of the founding members of Team Possible; Shego Possible, a former villain turned world-saver and wife. Boy had THAT been a doozy for the world. And the teenager sandwiched between them had to be their daughter, Gracie Possible. Astrid truly no idea where to begin or what she was supposed to say.

"Dr. Astrid Mackenzie?" Kim Possible offered her hand.

"Uh…yes. Sorry; just a little bit star struck just then," Could this be going any WORSE? Just accept the handshake. Don't make a complete arse out of yourself. "Forgive me Mrs. Possible but…I was a little surprise when you requested a meeting with me. I mean…I guessed that it would likely have something to do with your wife and daughters experiences but there are a lot of people I would think you'd go to before me."

"Well, this is something very specific and we were told by the Minister of Environment that you were exactly the person to see." The handshake was firm but very friendly. "Oh…forgive me. You probably already know but this is my beautiful wife Shego and our eldest daughter Gracie."

Astrid shook hands with each of them and ushered them into her office. "Well…uh…why beat around the bush? What can I do for you three?"

"To put it simply Ms. Mackenzie, we were told by your superiors that my daughter and I may have come into contact with some animals you've been experimenting with," Shego took a seat on the small sofa in the lab, Gracie plopping down next to her Momma. "Your department has been tracking and studying a pack of gray wolves in the area?"

Was that what this was about? Yes, her department had been monitoring a small pack of gray wolves in the area. Had these two come into contact with them? "We have indeed. My group attempted to introduce a new member into the pack and we've been monitoring them for years afterwards. Each pack member is tagged with a chip that monitors their vitals, accurate to within ten feet anywhere. Did you come into contact with them?"

"One of them saved my life." Gracie replied. "A rabid bear attacked me and the wolf drew it away."

So the story about the bear was true! And one of the pack members saved this young girl's life? Astrid had been studying wildlife since she was sixteen, wolves in particular, and she had never heard of anything like that. "Are…is she…?"

"We witnessed it," Kim Possible nodded a confirmation. "We had a request. You said that your trackers are accurate within ten feet on the planet? If it's not too much trouble, could you activate it and bring it up on screen?"

"Uh…can you describe the wolf?"

"He had two patches of cream colored fur over his eyes."

"I don't believe it," What were the odds? All the years, all the time spent looking at him on a screen. The very wolf that her team had successfully reintroduced into the wild was the one that had come to this young woman's aid! "Miss Possible, it would be a pleasure." Astrid slid her office chair back to her computer and brought up their tracking system. A few keystrokes later, and the red dots signifying the pack were lighting up her monitor. By the looks of it, all wolves seemed to be at the den. "Gracie, I think I can do one better. All wolves are currently at the den…where we have cameras stationed."

The plasma screen lit up and several camera angles appeared on screen. And there he was! The younger Possible crept up to the screen and spotted her hero.

"You saved my life," The whisper was barely audible. "Thank you Patches. I'll never forget you."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"MOMMA!"

Two little green blurs collided with Shego as she exited the Traverse and surveyed the Palace once again. It had been a whirlwind of events in the past few days. Shego had caught the tail end of Gracie's attempt to heal Patches, an incident that had thankfully ended well. Gracie had never attempted to heal animals; Shego had never even thought to TEST her on that. But Thank God it had worked. Gracie would've never forgiven herself if she had failed. And no one that young should have to carry the weight of the dead.

After radioing their position, the trio were quickly airlifted out and back to CFB Borden where they were greeted by an extraordinarily relieved Colonel Harris. Though there was no rational reason why, Shego could tell that the woman felt slightly responsible for what had happened. But after bandaging a few wounds and a round of poutine, the women were laughing and having a jolly old time hearing about Shego and Gracie's adventure…minus the wolf pack. Shego still wasn't sure if this was something linked to the meta-human half of Gracie and until she was sure, it would remain a secret between mothers and daughters.

And that was what brought the trio back to Middleton and the other trio waiting for them. The impact of the twins had forced Shego off her feet and onto the lawn but she was more than willing to take it. Zoe and Emily clasped their Momma in a bear hug and planted sloppy kisses all over Shego's face. Gracie meanwhile had been engulfed in a bear hug of her own as Abby bee line for the teenager.

Abby couldn't remember feeling so happy since the twins were born. This girl was darn near indestructible! She had overcome bumbling villains, religious zealots, more than anyone should have to in a lifetime let alone a childhood. And now the teenager could add overcoming Mother Nature to the list.

"I was so worried about you!" Abby had a hard time letting go but was eventually pried away as the Twins wanted to welcome back their big sister.

"Ho, welcome back," George the Naked Mole Rat squeaked to his partner as he perched on Emily's back.

Shego marched over and pulled her old friend into a hug of her own.

"Did you miss us?" Shego asked, releasing the woman, spying a few tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks.

"Put it this way. Empire Strikes back is in the DVD player and I won't say a word through the whole movie."

"Wow…Gracie and I should crash a plane in the wilderness more often." Shego oofed as the bodyguard thumped her in the shoulder.

It was amazing how things worked out. Shego was already beginning to feel like nothing had happened. She and her daughter had survived a plane crash and stint in absolute wilderness and the teacher in her was already beginning to think about her upcoming lesson plans, the faculty meeting she had missed, and a stack of book reports on her desk that still hadn't been graded. Maybe it was just being back here, at the Palace. Throughout the years, Shego had often had to develop a "happy place", mostly to grapple with the hellish childhood she had to endure. But the moment she set foot on these grounds, the moment she looked at her beautiful redhead of a wife, at their three trouble-making youngsters…this truly WAS happiness. As long as she was here, at the Palace or even just in Middleton, the outside world didn't really seem relevant.

"Mom, Momma, is it okay if I go into town for a while?" Gracie asked as she was hauled to her feet by her younger sisters. "Mary and the gang want to have a welcome back party at Pizza Charlies."

"Sure Munchkin," Shego smiled, pulled out of her revere. "Do you want one of us to drive you?"

"No arguments. I'll drive the munchkin." Abby stepped up and clamped a hand on Gracie's shoulder. "Every time I take my eyes off this one, she manages to get into trouble."

_Author's Notes:_

_And so ends Gracie's adventure into the Wild. This really brought back a lot of fun memories of watching Far from Home for me so I hope you all enjoyed the story as I had a lot of fun writing it. I really like the kind of person that Gracie is becoming and I hope my readers do too._


End file.
